Hooley praises ‘The Dean Effect’ for United’s resilience

As Melbourne United exit their seven-game road stretch on top of the competition ladder, a former championship winner has praised Head Coach Dean Vickerman’s aptitude for getting his side to bounce back.

While MU came out of January having gone 3-4 on the road, Vickerman’s side never dropped back-to-back games, instead answering with force and commitment.

Speaking on The Extra Pass podcast, Hooley credited ‘The Dean Effect’ for Melbourne’s ability to respond after tough results.

“Road trips are unique, every single one is unique,” he said.

“Both having played under Deano and seeing it now from the outside in, it’s the ‘The Dean Effect’. 

“I personally believe in flush games… he (Vickerman) doesn’t believe in that kind of stuff. You can see that there’s a loss and think ‘how do they (the players) bounce back from it?’ and to their credit, they’ve done that.”

United will look to continue this trend on Saturday when they host the SEM Phoenix in Throwdown XXIV.

Despite his two years playing with Melbourne, Hooley retired prior to the Phoenix’s introduction to the league, and says he wishes he could play inside the fiery environment that a Throwdown creates.

“I’m upset that I never got to (play in the Throwdown),” he said.

“We’ve seen this (rivalry) grow up and it’s going to be an inevitable thing that continues to grow and I think it’s great for the game and for the city of Melbourne.”

Throwdown XXIV will tip off at 8pm on Saturday evening at John Cain Arena. With the game sold out, fans without tickets can tune in live on ESPN via Foxtel and Kayo.